Boden-Ovalspinne vs Philippine mouse-deer

Enoplognatha thoracica compared with Tragulus nigricans

Key Differences

• Boden-Ovalspinne is Vulnerable while Philippine mouse-deer is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Boden-Ovalspinne	Philippine mouse-deer
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class	Arachnida (Spinnentiere)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order	Araneae (Webspinnen)	Artiodactyla (Paarhufer)
Family	Theridiidae	Tragulidae
Genus	Enoplognatha	Tragulus
Species	Enoplognatha thoracica	Tragulus nigricans

Evolutionary Relationship

Boden-Ovalspinne and Philippine mouse-deer share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Tier)

Conservation Status

Boden-Ovalspinne

VU — Vulnerable

Philippine mouse-deer

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Boden-Ovalspinne	Philippine mouse-deer
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Boden-Ovalspinne

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial habitats from forests to deserts.

Range

Found across Europe (4 countries) and North America (Canada, United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Philippine mouse-deer

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Boden-Ovalspinne

Enoplognatha thoracica is a slender cobweb spider in the family Theridiidae, a widespread group of three-dimensional web-building spiders found across the temperate regions of Europe and North America. This small spider, typically measuring 3–5 millimeters in body length, constructs irregular, tangled cobwebs in low vegetation, hedgerows, meadow margins, and scrubby habitats where it captures small flying and crawling arthropods. The body is pale yellowish-brown to creamy white with darker markings on the abdomen, and the legs are long and slender relative to body size, adapted for navigating the three-dimensional structure of its web. Like other theridiids, Enoplognatha thoracica uses a gum-foot trap technique in which sticky vertical threads attached to the substrate at their lower ends snap insects upward when disturbed, immobilizing prey effectively. The species occupies a range spanning much of Europe eastward into temperate Asia and has established populations in parts of North America, likely through accidental human-mediated dispersal. Females produce egg sacs that are guarded within the web until hatching. The species is associated with disturbed and edge habitats and tolerates moderate agricultural landscapes. It is classified as Vulnerable by some assessments, reflecting localized population pressures from habitat loss and intensification of land use in parts of its range, though other evaluations consider it more broadly secure.